(A customer is browsing our sale frying pans, which are gift boxed. On top of the pile of boxes is a frying pan that has been taken out so customers don’t keep opening new boxes to look at them.)

Customer: “Excuse me, are any of these out on display? I don’t want to buy one if I don’t know what it looks like.”

Me: “Yep, there’s this one right here.”

Customer: “Oh, I didn’t think it was the same one. It looks different to the one in the picture. The one in the picture has vegetables in it.”

(I laugh politely, thinking it’s a joke.)

Customer: “So, are there vegetables in the box?”

Me: “Um… no. It’s just a frying pan, and a glass lid. If there was food in there, it would go off.”

(The customer continues browsing, while I am called away to help someone else. As I am passing back by the first customer, I notice he is roughly pulling a new frying pan out of the gift box, tearing it up.)

Me: “Uh, do you need some help here?”

Customer: “I just wanted to see what this frying pan looks like before I buy it.”

Me: “It’s exactly the same as the one on display. We put that out so everyone can see what it looks like. That way, people will stop pulling new stock out of boxes and wrecking them.”

Customer: “I know, but I want to see what this one looks like. Yes, this should be fine. Oh, but the box is all torn up. Can you give me a discount for that?”